View full sizeLogan Storm, center, in Multnomah County Circuit Court in September 2011. Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian

Logan Storm's electronic monitoring bracelet was cut off and left in a Troutdale park Tuesday night, according to federal prosecutors, just hours after a jury found the former middle school teacher guilty of possessing child pornography.

Officers with the U.S. Marshal's Office, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies are pursuing leads in trying to track down the former Stoller Middle School math teacher. They are also urging the public to be on the lookout for Storm’s green Ford F-150 pickup truck with the Oregon license plate 726 CKA. But so far, they have been unable to find Storm, 36, who was supposed to be living with his parents in Southeast Portland until his April 8 sentencing date.

Prosecutors had sought to keep Storm in custody following the jury's verdict Tuesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman said Storm faces at least seven years and three months in prison for possessing hundreds of images of children being sexually exploited. Sussman also noted that Storm had fled the country previously, in July 2010, less than 48 hours after police seized his computer and thumb drives but before he was charged. Storm, who was charged while he was overseas, returned seven months later after his then-defense attorneys persuaded him to come back.

But Senior U.S District Judge Ancer Haggerty sided with Storm's defense lawyers who pointed out that Storm has been out of custody for nearly a year and a half awaiting trial without fleeing or violating terms of his release. Storm also already surrendered his passport and Haggerty added a requirement that Storm wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. Haggerty, who was filling in for the afternoon for U.S. District Judge Michael Simon, told the parties they could argue the matter in front of Simon, who has been presiding over the trial.

On Tuesday night, the federal pretrial services agency which administers the electronic-monitoring program noticed a problem with the bracelet, said U.S. Marshal Russ Burger. It is unclear how soon pretrial officials checked on Storm, but they discovered the cut-off bracelet in the park, Burger said.

Agents are scouring the area, noting that finding Storm is a top priority. Storm was also charged in 2011 with first-degree sexual abuse involving two victims under the age of 14. The charges were dismissed to allow the federal prosecution to proceed, but could be revived.

Electronic monitoring does not prevent someone who wants to escape from escaping, said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall, saying her office had wanted Storm kept in custody.

Storm’s court-appointed attorneys, Jerry Needham and Amy Baggio, declined to answer questions. Needham said, however, that “we’re going to continue to represent Mr. Storm, and we hope he is OK.” He urged Storm to contact them as soon as possible.